Thicker Than Blood
by hbomba
Summary: Bo deals with being human while Lauren works tirelessly to return her to Fae. With Trick pulling out all the stops to get Lauren to cease and desist her Fae experiments, the heat is on Bo, Lauren, and Kenzi once again. Rising stakes and mortal danger complicate the already crazy situation as they challenge the oppressive demands of the Blood King.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Thicker Than Blood

**Authors:** hbomba & lonejaguar

**Rating:** M

**Summary:** Bo deals with being human while Lauren works tirelessly to return her to Fae. With Trick pulling out all the stops to get Lauren to cease and desist her Fae experiments, the heat is on Bo, Lauren, and Kenzi once again. Rising stakes and mortal danger complicate the already crazy situation as they challenge the oppressive demands of the Blood King.

**A/N:** The third in a trilogy containing To The Bottom & Little Talks.

* * *

"Families are messy. Immortal families are eternally messy. Sometimes the best we can do is to remind each other that we're related for better or for worse...and try to keep the maiming and killing to a minimum." \\ Rick Riordan, The Sea of Monsters

* * *

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature. […] Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing." \\ Helen Keller

* * *

The rain pattered on the aluminum roof of the clubhouse. Bo felt ever drop reverberating in her head. Lauren's arm snaked around her waist as Bo prayed for sun, anything to stop the incessant dripping as the rain filtered in from the outside and dropped into a bucket in the bathroom. _God, this place is such a shithole. _

Bo lifted Lauren's arm and rolled away, slipping from the bed and pulling on a kimono before retreating down the stairs. She filled the kettle and clicked on the television, such was her nightly ritual. A little Magnum P.I. and Murder, She Wrote before the sun came up and Lauren would find her nodding off during Who's The Boss end credits. This mish-mash of eighties mysteries and sitcoms made for strange bedfellows but ever since Bo's Fae was taken, sex grew less important, though completely apparent that it was missing.

It was a painful reminder of her Fae. She felt impotent, for lack of a better word, for even as she lay with Lauren she was keenly aware of what she could not do anymore. What she would not let herself do, once upon a time. But now, even her hunger was gone. She still desired Lauren, it was nothing so drastic as that, but her hunger, her chi sucking and absorption were non-existent. All those years she wished and struggled against her powers seemed to come to the forefront in the early hours of the morning. When regrets came so easily and hope was down the rabbit hole.

Lauren's hand was in her hair, smoothing it back from her face. "Come back to bed, babe." It was a ritual. From the back of the couch, Lauren looked down at Bo, who awoke slowly, tipping her head back to look up at Lauren. She would wait there until Bo clambered to her feet and followed her to their bed, curling around her, once again.

Morning would come a few hours later with Kenzi making a racket in the kitchen, banging on the malfunctioning toaster and coffee maker. Bo and Lauren stood at the base of the stairs, both wearing pained expressions until Kenzi reared her arm back to hurl the toaster at the door. She jumped at the sight of them, nearly dropping it.

"Shiz, dudes! You scared the Smirnoff outta me!"

"Excuse us for interrupting, Furious George, but weren't you going to make us waffles to apologize for waking us up?" Bo crossed her arms across her chest as Lauren looked on.

"Bo-Bo," she squeezed Bo's shoulder and turned to Lauren. "Lola," she play-punched Lauren in the arm. "Don't you think you were getting up anyways?" She nodded and smiled at the pair who stared back at her. "Okay, waffles it is!" Kenzi returned to the kitchen.

Lauren looked at Bo. "Lola?"

* * *

The day passed with little incident. A quiet, and some might say boring day. Bo drove Lauren to her lab-a space she had arranged after she'd come back to the Dark-and there, she performed a myriad tests on Bo's DNA before incubating a new concoction. She ran in circles over test results, theories, and formulas and they all led her to failure. As a scientist, Lauren was familiar with failure, trials and errors, but this was Bo. This _mattered_. And failing to bring Bo's Fae back was failing Bo.

Lauren swabbed Bo's arm and lifted the prepared needle tip pressing into her vein. Depressing the plunger, Lauren expelled the contents of the syringe into Bo's arm. She held a cotton ball against the injection point and withdrew the needle. Bo inhaled, hoping that it would be different this time.

They waited. "Anything?" Bo shrugged. "I don't understand, it worked for Evony." Lauren began to pace. "I think I've underestimated just how special you are, Bo."

It was getting late. Lauren had wiled away hours with her experiments while Bo played unwitting guinea pig as she worked her way through a stack of magazines. When she called it a day, Lauren sagged a bit, not satisfied with her efforts. It was all Bo could do to pull her away from her microscope and take her hand, leading her to the car.

The Camaro roared to life. The blinker ticked as they waited to pull into traffic. Bo appraised Lauren's quiet contemplation before she spoke. "You'll get it."

Lauren sighed. "I just don't know how much time I have to work with," she admitted. "I'm scared there's a clock ticking away and I can't see it." Bo swallowed. She had never considered that Lauren might fail. Her eye caught a large SUV fishtailing as it pulled in behind them. "Bo…" Lauren warned.

"I see them." Foot to floor, Bo accelerated along the freeway, putting some distance between them and the SUV. She weaved in and out of traffic and, if there was any doubt, the SUV followed. She had to get Lauren home. They were unarmed, a decision Bo regretted immensely now that she was human. Even the dagger strapped to her thigh was little comfort against an SUV full of ogres.

Still in pursuit, she had gained some distance between them. Looking in the rearview mirror, Bo spoke. "When we stop I need you to run inside, get Kenzi and meet me back at the Camaro as fast as you can. I'll keep them busy."

When she skidded to a stop in the driveway, Lauren threw open the door and took off running. The SUV stopped behind the Camaro, blocking them in. She tried to lead the ogre crew away from the clubhouse but they went straight for it and she had no choice but to follow.

She slinked around the side of the house to the alternate stairs but when she pulled on the door, it was padlocked. Lauren had been paranoid about another attack and though she was right again, Bo really wished that door had been unlocked. She heard her pursuers in the brush behind the clubhouse, but it was too late, she was already surrounded.

Overcome in the yard by Fae, they dragged her into the clubhouse kicking and howling, but before she could alert her roommates, a hand clapped over her mouth. It was then that Bo knew what it was to be surprised by Fae as her captor called out in Bo's voice.

"Lauren!"

Bo's mouth was covered, but her voice was being parroted by the Fae that held her back. They were so strong and Bo was so weak. When Lauren appeared at the bottom of the stairs the band of Fae paused. It was her they were after.

Bo struggled against her captor. There was a time when she would have made short work of the Fae that now tormented them but, as Bo was beginning to figure out, being a human came with a certain number of challenges and she hadn't quite worked out how to overcome them yet.

Lauren stood in indecision, Kenzi beside her. There was nowhere to go but up. Another Fae charged toward them, scooping Kenzi up under his arm. He dropped her as she thrashed onto the floor in front of Lauren before pulling her along by her hair. When they dropped her in the middle of the living room and kicked her in the stomach, Bo fought harder and Lauren made her choice, running into the fray. She knocked down the Ogre that had floored Kenzi and then ran headlong into the Pombero that held Bo back.

It was only a momentary victory before they recovered and felled her with a punch to the stomach. As Lauren dropped to her knees, they collected Bo and Kenzi.

"Look at the human cry!" Taunted an ogre as he kicked Kenzi in the stomach again.

"Get bent," Kenzi said through gritted teeth, spitting blood onto his shoes.

The Fae holding Bo invited the others to slap her across the face. Lauren flinched at the sound. "Leave them alone. It's me you want."

"Maybe the hero doctor would like a taste of her own medicine." The ogre kicked her while she was down.

"Those ogres you killed, they were my friends. We've come to settle up."

"Calm down." Lauren put her hands up. "I'm sure we can make an arrangement that would make both of us happy."

"Do I look like I care about your happiness, bitch?" He grabbed her hair and yanked her to her feet. "Where is it?"

Lauren winced. "You're going to have to be more specific," she replied, calm and collected.

"Your potions, give them to us and we'll leave you in peace."

"I'm sorry, I can't do that," she said cool and even.

"I'm not fooling around, lady."

"Neither am I." Lauren stomped on her assailer's foot and spun around, punching him in the throat.

Taking their cue from Lauren, Bo and Kenzi followed in suit. Kenzi leapt up and took her captor down at the knees, a loud crack as he hit his head on the coffee table on the way down. Bo elbowed the pombero holding her back. Turning around, she head butted him. With the Fae incapacitated, Lauren climbed the stairs two at a time and returned with a syringe gun.

As the ogres came to their feet again, she crept down the stairs. "Now go on," she commanded. "Go back to whoever sent you and tell them we will not be intimidated."

"There's still only one syringe in that gun, Doctor," the ogre growled.

"Yes, but which one of you will be bold enough to try to take it." Lauren took her place next to Bo and Kenzi. "Leave now and keep your Fae or stay, and find out just how fast I can reload this."

* * *

It was the middle of the night and the three women met in a congress on the couch. Each held up their beer bottle and clinked the necks together before trying to drink a solution to their very real problem. They had won this bout but long term, in the battle of Human vs. Fae, it wasn't looking good for the humans. They got lucky and Lauren knew that to the very ache in her bones. Lauren's hands dipped into her medical bag and pulled out some gauze. Bo held an icepack against her cheek as Lauren swabbed her cuts with antiseptic.

As always, Kenzi was the first to speak. She grimaced. "Are you sure I'm not bleeding internally or something?" Kenzi held her side.

"You're fine," Lauren dismissed.

"You need to work on that bedside manner of yours, Doc."

"I meant, I examined you myself. You're going to live. Promise," she said sarcastically.

"I hate to interrupt the Lauren and Kenzi show because, I gotta say, I really wanted to see how this one turned out, but we need to make some decisions."

"We need to leave the city, Bo," Lauren implored. "Go on the lam for awhile, let things cool down."

"Nuh uh, no way." Kenzi declared. "I don't want to feel like I'm on summer vacay with my two moms. I'll stay with Dyson."

"I'm afraid I'm with Kenzi on this one," Bo said.

Lauren sighed. "You don't want to see how bad this could get before they get their way."

"We defended ourselves once, we can do it again."

"Bo, we got lucky and you know it."

"What I know is that we are all fighters and we are nothing without the fight we were born into."

Lauren nodded her head slowly. "If that's how you feel." She shrugged and set her beer on the coffee table before standing, hands in back pockets and turning to climb the stairs.

"Did we just win an argument with her?" Kenzi whispered behind her hand as Lauren walked away.

"I'm sure that's not the last we've heard of this," Bo said regretfully.

* * *

Thunder shook the clubhouse. _When will this rain ever end? _Lauren sat nestled in the corner of the sofa with an ice pack she pressed against a vicious bruise. She knew Bo wouldn't want to leave. Over the years, Lauren watched Bo stop running and face her past, even helped guide her along, and Lauren did so believing she was there, too. But the reality was that she hadn't even gotten close.

Bo sat next to her with a glass of wine in hand. She smoothed a hand across Lauren's thigh and Lauren felt the shiver in her body before she felt the warmth in her face.

"Just another day," Bo smirked and then sipped her wine.

Lauren suddenly wished she hadn't turned down Bo's offer for a glass of her own. She couldn't stomach alcohol right then anyway and with everything going to hell, she wanted her wits about her. "So, another Ogre gang…"

"I'm sensing a trend," Bo replied sarcastically. "And as soon as I sleep this off," she held up her wine glass and admired its color. "I'm gonna pay that harpy a visit and get to the bottom of this."

"But Evony gave you her blood oath," Lauren insisted.

"Looks like Evony's blood oath isn't worth what it used to be."

Lauren sighed and she nodded. It was Bo's call after all and when she was determined to make her point, she was difficult to slow down. "Just… remember what she said in the hospital."

Bo drained her glass. "Oh, I'll be paying him a visit, too, don't worry."

"You're just going to break down their doors and accuse them of attacking us?"

Bo thought about it and nodded. "Yeah, pretty much."

"Bo," Lauren started cautiously.

"Lauren," Bo stopped her, squeezing her thigh. "You and Kenzi are the two most important people in my life. I can't let them get away with this."

Lauren leaned over, the ice pack falling to her lap as she pressed her lips against Bo's. Her hand found its way to Bo's neck and fingers pushed into her hair. Lauren didn't find herself at a loss for words much, in fact her unending dialogue in awkward moments tended to get her into trouble. But Bo always brought about a tongue-tied silence that Lauren could solve only one way. Kissing Bo became as much a way of communicating as it did a mode of expression and Lauren quickly found it a necessity above all. When her words failed her, her lips did not.

Bo pulled back, her nose touching Lauren's as she savored their kiss on her bottom lip. She hummed. "You're welcome," she quipped, her mouth curving into a teasing smile.

"I am just constantly in awe of you," Lauren said, her eyes lost in Bo's.

"Shucks, Doctor," Bo said. She took Lauren's hand from her jaw and brought it in front of her, pressing her lips to her wrist.

Lauren's free hand covered Bo's. "Say hi to the Morrigan for me."

* * *

Bo banged on the Morrigan's office door, waiting all of three seconds before kicking it in. The knocking was more a courtesy to say 'I'm here, you better hide.' Wood splintered as her foot made contact with the door and Bo walked through the debris into Evony's office. As the dust settled, Bo found her standing behind her desk.

"What the hell?!"

"Met your friends last night," Bo said sliding her sword out of its sheath and walking towards Evony.

"I don't know what you are talking about darling, but quite frankly, I'm offended. When you make a deal with me, I honor it."

Bo snorted. "I'm sorry, I can't see you past this giant pile of bullshit."

Evony trailed a hand along her desk and walked out from behind it. "Say, have you talked to Papa Smurf recently?"

"He knows how I feel."

She cocked her head to the side and nodded sympathetically. "Well, if he knows how you feel then…"

"I don't like what you're implying."

"I don't like your makeup so we're kinda even." Evony's lips curled.

"I'll decide when we're even." Bo said, lifting her sword and slashing the chairs in front of her.

The Morrigan took an unsteady step backwards, raising her hands in defense. "Where's your lady love?"

Bo's eyes flashed. "Leave Lauren out of this."

Evony laughed. "Oh, I couldn't forget about Lauren if I tried."

Bo rushed forward, lifting the cool blade to press against Evony's cheek. Her voice was low, possessive. "It meant _nothing_." After a tense moment, Bo lowered her weapon and backed away from her.

"You're a menace," she spat.

Bo spun around, walking backwards as she passed through the office. "Sorry 'bout your door."

* * *

As she zigzagged the city in the Camaro, Bo tried to come to terms the past six weeks. Almost losing Lauren, losing her Fae, Kenzi's emotional upheaval and last but not least, Trick's betrayal. She should have known it would come to this. Aife warned her all those years ago. She had told her what her father had done and Bo continued to pretend he was harmless, serving an endless stream of liquor to her and her friends. But at what cost? She was afraid that she had just scratched the surface.

She set the emergency brake and sighed, checking her makeup in the rearview mirror before throwing open the creaking Camaro door. The bar was empty, as far as Bo could tell. She inhaled that familiar stale bouquet of barley and hops, rye and other assorted grains. Damn, if she didn't miss this place as much as she missed her Fae.

"You're human." Trick's voice shattered the silence.

"That is the hot topic of the moment." Bo knocked on the bar top.

"Did you do this to be with Lauren?"

"If I did would it change your mind about anything?"

"No," he said solemnly.

Bo's frustration was peaking. "Why am I even here?" She sighed.

He crossed his arms. "Because we're family."

"You can't just go around threatening the lives of people you disagree with." She pointed at him. "That's archaic." She leaned back against the bar and basked in her ever-expanding vocabulary thanks to Lauren.

"And you can't betray your bloodlines and abandon your family," Trick replied quickly, desperately.

"I traded up," Bo said with a quirk of her mouth. "My friends are my family. Light, Dark or Human, I love them and no matter what you say or what threats you make that's not going to change."

"She's put all Fae in jeopardy. Look at yourself!" His voice boomed.

"Lauren will reverse this," Bo said confidently.

"And then what? What is she doing with that research?"

"What does it matter?"

Trick sighed. "Don't be so naïve, Ysabeau. In the wrong hands that research could bring about the extinction of all Fae."

"Lauren would never-" Bo started.

"And what about another Taft?" he interrupted. "What would he do to our kind? A life for a life, Bo, that is our way."

"Your way has never been my way," she declared. "It's not your place to decide who lives or dies."

"But it's yours and Lauren's?"

Bo sat up straight on a stool, her hands clasped on the bar in front of her. She sighed. "So what will make this go away?"

Trick picked up a glass. "You know what I want. I want Lauren's research."

"It's not my research to give you."

"I have faith you can convince her." Trick put the glass down and looked at Bo. "And if not," he started. "I trust you haven't forgotten your heritage."

Bo was shocked by his suggestion and found herself getting off the stool. "I can't believe you," she spat, turning to storm out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

She felt like a kid again, watching her mother cook as Lauren peeled off her latex gloves and pushed the goggles up her nose. It was fascinating. Every movement Lauren made was measured, swift but not reckless, graceful, even. Lauren was a heavenly body, shimmering as the stars only can and when she worked she shone brightly.

A digital timer alarmed and Lauren hand swept over the glass terrain without disturbing a single beaker, test tube or flask. She added the concoction she had been working on all day to the test tube with Bo's DNA and set the timer again. In another ten minutes she would be injecting Bo.

Lauren never wished for much because she was not one for false hope, but today she wished for Bo's Succubus to return to her. Bo was mostly unchanged. Still brave and stubborn and all the things that made her Bo except her very nature. She had grown pale and thinner, like she was still starving without an infusion of chi.

At night Bo was restless. She clung to Lauren like there was no one else in the world. And sometimes it felt that way. Gone was her overabundant sex drive and what was left was a delicious kernel of what it was before. But the thing about it was, when she was with human Bo she knew there was no need to feed, no body sapping, just pure want and desire. When she was with human Bo, Lauren knew it was more about her than it was about Bo. Not that Lauren would ever begrudge Bo being a Succubus or her exponential sex drive. After all, she had been the benefactor in the past and she was sure as soon as Bo had her Fae back, they would be as they were again.

The how and when of Bo getting her Fae back was the puzzler. Lauren was throwing everything she could at Bo's DNA and all of her results were for naught. She held lightning in a bottle but Bo's kindling wouldn't ignite.

Bo shed her coat and rolled up her sleeve as Lauren prepared the injection. Lauren looked skyward momentarily, trying a sort of willful dominion over her expectations. She normally didn't subscribe to divine intervention but today, she thought, it couldn't hurt.

"I tried something new," Lauren said as she swabbed Bo's arm. "With any luck we'll see some improvement in your abilities." She searched Bo's face before slipping the needle into her arm with the utmost care. "Breathe," Lauren encouraged when she noticed that Bo was holding her breath.

"Easy for you to say. I'm beginning to feel like a walking pin cushion. I just want-" Bo's eyes closed, her body was abuzz with the reaction Lauren had carefully set into play. "Wait," she said, holding up a hand. Her head lulled from side to side, her fingertips vibrated. This was it. Bo was certain.

Lauren placed a hand on Bo's arm as she taped a cotton ball to the injection site. "What is it?"

"It's working," Bo exhaled, smiling.

Bo hugged Lauren tight against her chest when the feelings subsided. She felt renewed, alive again, but there was no telling how much of her abilities had returned without a road test. They stared at one another, unsure what to do next. And suddenly Bo couldn't think of anything she wanted to do more than Lauren. She kissed her hard on the mouth and wrenched her lab coat off.

"Bo," was all Lauren could muster as Bo backed her up against a metal desk in the corner. There was no reasoning with Bo when she was like this, Lauren knew, so she dropped all pretense that she wanted her to stop anyways and pulled at Bo's top. Bo set upon Lauren's jeans, pushing them over her hips before lifting her onto the desk. As she pulled the pants off one leg at a time, Lauren unbuttoned her shirt and shrugged it off. When they came together again, their mouths opened, unleashing a flurry of greedy and potent kisses.

It was as it always had been and Lauren was grateful, so grateful that she finally got it right. Bo smiled down at her, Lauren grimacing as she moved on the cold metal. When Bo disappeared over the edge of the desk, Lauren had some idea of what was coming but she still wasn't ready for Bo pressing soft kisses against her thighs. Lauren gripped the edge of the desk and held her breath. Bo's breath was blowing over her and soon her mouth would cover Lauren in a hasty show of expertise and ecstasy.

"Oh." Her mouth formed the shape of the word before it was heard. "Bo," she whispered. Lauren's hands threaded through Bo's hair but there was no guiding her today, Bo was on a mission all her own. Lauren's hips bucked as Bo concentrated her efforts, slyly pushing inside with a pair of fingers. Her back lifted from the desk and she held herself there, watching the blissed out expression and the wild spark that glimmered in Bo's eyes before letting her head roll back on her shoulders.

It wasn't long before Lauren's white knuckles on the edge of the desk flexed and her hips jumped before she let go completely and release coursed through her body. Her breath came in short bursts and when her eyes opened she found Bo smiling down upon her.

Lauren quickly reversed their positions and peeled away Bo's impossibly tight pants. She lifted Bo's leg and rest it on her shoulder. Bo grinned, eagerly awaiting what came next. Lauren threw a leg over Bo's and pressed herself against Bo's core.

"Mmm." A smile spread across Bo's face as Lauren began to move, slow at first but building intensity as her hips bucked faster still. Lauren lost herself, grinding against Bo, and then found herself again in the jerky movements of her hips, thrusting hopelessly out of control as she came. This time Bo followed, holding Lauren's hips against her and biting her lip as sweet release enveloped them.

Lauren untangled their bodies and sat beside Bo on the desk, whose chest heaved but a pervasive smile made it impossible for Bo to deny any of the feelings she was experiencing. "It's back."

"How do you know?"

"I can feel it-you-coursing through my veins."

Lauren lifted her stethoscope from the heap on the desk and pressed the cold metal chest piece against her breast. Her heart was racing and her body felt drained. She turned the stethoscope on Bo and covered her lips with a finger to keep her from talking while Lauren listened. Her heart sounded stronger, if that was even possible, than it did during her exam before the injection. Lauren removed the headset from her ears and slid it into the desk drawer. Overcome by her successes, Lauren basked in the triumph of science as her eyes roved Bo's bare body.

"What?" Bo asked.

"I'm going to have to sterilize this desk again."

"Again?" Bo shoved Lauren's shoulder playfully.

A smile spread across Lauren's features. She shook her head and laughed. "The desk came with the space."

"Ah," Bo nodded, reaching out to touch Lauren's hair affectionately. "You know, I never thanked you for everything you've done."

"No," she shook her head and looked away shyly. "I couldn't imagine not helping."

Bo nodded. It was these simple conversations, the quiet nods and smiles that added up to big understanding between them. Bo sat up and rubbed her arms. "Brrr, ever considered turning up the heat a bit?"

"It's not often I get the pleasure of such a visit."

"Uh huh."

"That, and my cultures like it cool."

"There it is," Bo teased tapping the tip of her nose.

* * *

"There's just one more test," Bo said in the car.

They sat in the Camaro, bodies still abuzz from their encounter in the lab. Lauren studied Bo's expression. She was elated to have her Fae back and Lauren couldn't begrudge her that. After all, she had found herself wishing for its return since this whole mess had begun.

"We can't go to the Dal," Lauren said.

"Dyson's it is," Bo said matter-of-factly.

Lauren shrunk away from this idea. There was a time when she could have given Bo what she wanted now and she wished it away. She grew somber, watching the trees and buildings whiz by as Bo drove with a gusto.

"I'm not sure how I feel about that, Bo," she said, finally shrugging off her shame long enough to make her point.

"Tamsin?" She asked.

The look Lauren cast then said everything Bo needed to know. She was most definitely not okay with this chi-tasting buffet that Bo was looking forward to. "How else am I going to know if it worked?"

"Take mine."

Bo stomped on the brakes and pulled the Camaro to the side of the road. She sighed. "But we talked about this."

"I know. Just this once. You can give it back." Lauren had thought it all out.

Bo's hands squeaked on the leather-wrapped steering wheel before she turned to face Lauren.

With one hand on the headrest and the other tangling in Lauren's hair, Bo leaned in. Lauren watched as Bo's mouth opened and the unmistakable blue stream of life began to leave her body. Utopian bliss filled her belly and Bo was warmed through. Her mouth covered Lauren's and her hand tightened on the back of Lauren's neck. When Bo's eyes opened they were a vivid blue but panic ran through them like a blood curdling scream. She had forgotten how to stop feeding. Her powers were as the others were, infantile and she had to stop or she'd risk draining Lauren completely.

Lauren's eyes were wide with fear. Bo pulled away but the blue stream of chi stretched between them. Bo shook her head, once, twice, and finally the third time which was able to break the connection in complete desperation.

Lauren slumped back into the bucket seat. "Lauren?" Bo asked frantically. "Stay with me." She patted her cheeks. Lauren was breathing but for how long, she worried. Foot to the floor, Bo spun the Camaro's wheels on the shoulder before speeding down the road.

* * *

She threw Lauren's arm over her shoulder and lifted her out of the car. Bo felt stronger now, if not quite herself. Holding Lauren against her side she threw open the side door and made their way inside. "Dyson!" Her voice was desperate, edging on tears.

"Bo?" Dyson called from the other side of the gym. He slipped out of the boxing gloves he was wearing and ran to her side. Bo had slumped by the boxing ring holding Lauren. He knelt beside them, taking in the scene carefully. "Bo, what happened?"

"I need your chi."

"With Lauren right here?"

Bo shook her head and grabbed him by the collar, greedily stealing his chi. When it was time to stop, she had an easier time of it. She was learning. Dazed, Dyson watched Bo cover Lauren's mouth as she tried to reverse the tide of chi.

_Focus._

She watched the chi disintegrate into the ether as her attempts failed. Tears began to roll down her cheeks and she choked on a sob, holding Lauren's body against her, her head on Bo's shoulder.

"Bo, what happened?"

"I did this," she sobbed. Dyson ran a hand over his face. Bo felt a breath on her neck. She froze and waited for another to follow. When it did she lifted Lauren's head and their eyes met, Bo held her in a fierce embrace, choking back the tears that threatened to overwhelm her. "I thought…"

Lauren covered Bo's mouth with her hand and shook her head. Her eyes fell onto Dyson who met her gaze and scooted closer, cupping her shoulder affectionately. "Never a dull day with you two around." He smiled and scratched his beard uncomfortably.

* * *

When Bo walked into the clubhouse carrying Lauren, Kenzi went into Chicken Little mode, trotting around them as Bo shooed her away. "She needs to rest."

"What the hell happened? She looks like hell!"

"Thanks, Kenz," was all Lauren could muster in that sleepy, slurry way that she talked now.

"Oh, good. You can talk, at least." Kenzi lay the back of her hand on Lauren's forehead. "You're all clammy, Doc."

Bo readjusted her grip on Lauren. "Not getting any lighter here, Kenz."

"Oh!" Kenzi hopped and stepped out of the way, following them upstairs.

Bo laid Lauren back on the pillows of the bed and covered her with a blanket. Bo squeezed her thigh. "Get some sleep. I'll be back in a bit with some food." Lauren smiled as Bo slipped away.

"Feel better, Doc," Kenzi said as she followed Bo downstairs.

Bo made a beeline for the kitchen, opening the empty refrigerator and staring into its depths for a long minute. "One egg?" She held up the lone egg for emphasis.

"It was your day to shop," Kenzi pointed out. "You gonna tell me what happened?"

Bo shook her head. "I got my Fae back."

"So you tested it out on Lauren?" Kenzi asked incredulously.

Bo flinched, remembering Lauren's objections to the alternatives. "She asked me to."

"I see everyone was thinking clearly." Kenzi drummed her nails on the counter. "I thought you agreed not to do that anymore?"

"We did." Bo sat across from Kenzi and spun the last egg in the clubhouse on the tabletop.

"The wheels kind of fell off there, hey?"

"The punch line, if you must know, is that I'm back to square one. I can't control my abilities."

"So you need some Fae training wheels, surely Doc has something to help with that."

"Seeing as I almost killed her, I think it's gonna be awhile before she can look into training wheels."

Kenzi snorted. "Lauren sure can hold a grudge."

Bo swatted Kenzi's hand. Standing, she crossed the kitchen, pulling a bowl from the cabinet and cracking her lone egg into it. She began to scramble it with a fork. She set a pan down on the range and turned the element on.

"Really? You're gonna feed her an egg?"

"Got a better idea?"

"Yeah," she scoffed. "How about something that doesn't smell like a stinky, old egg?"

"I appreciate your concern but I'm not leaving her. Not when she's like this. I can't risk another ogre invasion."

"Fine," she said. "I'll go."

Bo reached into her pocket and threw a wad of cash onto the table. Kenzi's hand covered it quickly. "Don't blow it all on junk food. Lauren needs-"

"Spare me the 'what Lauren needs' speech. I got this." Kenzi scooped up the keys from the counter and sashayed her way to the door.

"And no joyriding!" She called after her. Bo sighed and looked down at the egg in the pan. She threw the frying pan into the sink and ascended the stairs again.

Bo stood in the doorway to her bedroom and stared at Lauren. Her eyes were closed, body half-covered. She looked so small and fragile. Bo could barely stand to be so far from her, the need to protect her was vast and overwhelming.

"I'm not dead yet," Lauren said in a gravelly voice.

Bo quickly shuffled to her side and sat beside her. "Kenzi went out for food." Lauren smiled and Bo relaxed a bit as her hand covered Bo's. "Why'd we do it, Lauren?"

She sighed. "It was a calculated risk."

Bo recoiled. "For who? You? Or me? Because I almost killed you, Lauren." She kept her tone even despite the fire burning in her brain.

"I never considered that you might not have control of your abilities, Bo. I should have, but… I just knew that I didn't want to share you so soon after what happened in the lab."

"I'm going to have to feed eventually."

Lauren moved to sit up and Bo reached out to help her up. "Correction," she grunted. "You need to learn how to feed again."

"I suppose you want another shot at a near-death experience?"

Lauren bowed her head and smirked. "I deserved that."

Bo cracked a smile. "Can I run you a bath?"

Lauren carefully swung her legs over the edge of the bed. "You read my mind."

* * *

The water rumbled as the bathtub filled. Lauren sat on the bed, staring aimlessly at the stacks of trunks, surrounded by sheer curtains braided onto the bedposts. She had truly gone down the rabbit hole. This was Wonderland. Standing in front of the mirror, she removed her clothes and there in front of it did she see the toll their near miss had on her body. She was gaunt and pale, her ribs sunken, with dark circles beneath her eyes. She covered her mouth and closed her eyes.

"Everything okay?" Bo appeared in the doorway behind her.

Lauren dropped her hands to her sides and opened her eyes before turning to face Bo with a smile. "Everything's fine."


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning was cool and overcast again. It was early, just after dawn, the only time Lauren could step outside on her own and feel less paranoid about the next Fae around the corner sent to do her in. She poured herself a cup of coffee in the kitchen after being chased back inside by the rain that started to patter on the roof and wished her mood didn't match the weather as perfectly as it seemed to.

She felt a little better today, she could move a little freer, breathe a little deeper. It was all a fraction better than the day before. Lauren sat in the armchair next to the fireplace and rubbed her face. She looked over at the stairs when she heard the footsteps from above. Kenzi moved quietly, but not silently and stopped short when she noticed Lauren in the chair.

"Good… morning," she said, clearly puzzled by Lauren's presence.

"Just wanted to get some fresh air," Lauren reasoned despite Kenzi not asking. "There's coffee."

"Oh bless you," Kenzi assaulted the machine, licking her lips in anticipation.

She didn't expect to run into Kenzi so early, but there was much different about the petite powerhouse of a human since she had returned from Hel. And Lauren was patient about relearning Kenzi's habits. After all, she had experienced a major upheaval herself and was fully aware that she felt differently then she did before. She smiled when Kenzi nestled into the corner of the couch, tucking a foot under her. They sat in silence for a minute or two before Kenzi spoke.

"You've got a little color back," she said into her mug.

"Yeah?" Lauren touched her face again like it wasn't her own. "It's amazing what a good night's sleep can do."

Kenzi smiled cordially, blinking carefully before deciding to take another sip of coffee. "How long are you going to pretend Bo didn't almost kill you?"

She should have expected the question. Especially from Kenzi. Lauren retreated into her cup before staring at the woman across from her. "It was an accident."

"Didn't you guys swear off that stuff?"

"Bo needed to see if her powers had come back." Lauren sighed. "I didn't want her to go to anyone else."

"Doc," Kenzi leaned forward to put her mug down. "You've been over this. You can't do it, you're human…" She frowned. "Again." Kenzi shook her head. "Point is, isn't it enough that she comes back to you every time?"

"I just…" Lauren stared at her coffee, thumb nail scraping at the side of the mug.

"I know," Kenzi leaned over and rubbed her knee. "She loves you, Lauren. And she feels horrible for hurting you."

Lauren nodded into her lap, squeezing Kenzi's hand. It was almost comical that Bo felt bad for doing something Lauren had asked for. And after all her efforts to convince Bo that she wasn't a monster, Lauren put her in the exact position Bo had worried about since their first time. But in that moment, when Lauren couldn't breathe, or blink, or even move, watching her life pour from her body, she couldn't describe the feeling any other way:

"It was-"

"Sensual?" Kenzi interjected. "Romantic… faetastic?"

Lauren sighed. "Terrifying." Kenzi blinked, her attempt to lighten the mood fell hard against her shoulders. Lauren looked at her suddenly then, seriously, like she gave away a secret. "Please don't tell her that."

Kenzi smiled. "I won't," she whispered.

Lauren nodded her thanks and looked at the coffee in her hands like she'd just remembered it was there. Both women took a moment to sip their coffee, the silence was comfortable between them this time. Lauren's head had cleared a little, saying the things she needed to get out without hurting Bo in the process and the coffee warmed her against the heavy rain. She looked at Kenzi then, who was staring into the distance as she drank.

"So how are you?" Lauren asked.

Kenzi shook her head and smiled sadly. "It's okay, you've got enough to worry about."

"It can't always be about me and Bo."

"And somehow, it is." Kenzi let her words settle. She shook her head again.

"Kenzi."

Kenzi raised her finger in the air. "Okay, if we're gonna exchange sob stories," she stood and took Lauren's coffee cup to the kitchen and opened the freezer door. "Ice cream is essential."

* * *

A bell rung as she walked into the Dal Riata. Trick looked up from his perch at the bar. Kenzi, channeling her best Jackie O. approached, hips swinging dramatically as she went. She wore all black from the patent leather pumps to the pillbox hat with netting on her head.

Kenzi's eyes scanned the room, presumably looking for someone who might report back to Bo that they'd seen her at the Dal. Secretly, Kenzi just had an eye out for any threats, after all she had been invited back to a territory where she, Bo and Lauren were a wanted commodity.

Satisfied it was safe, Kenzi tucked her clutch that smartly hid a tazer, back under her arm as she hopped up onto a barstool. Trick smiled disingenuously. "Thank you for coming," he said.

"No bullshit," Kenzi held up a finger. "I'm here for Bo despite having to go behind her back to see what you wanted."

"Of course. I only wish we could have met under different circumstances."

"Bullshit," she said again. "You don't have time for puny humans and you know it."

"Kenzi," he started. "I asked you here because you find yourself in a position to help the Fae, something you have always shown yourself ready to do."

"The only Fae I have ever helped is Bo and that's how it's going to stay."

Trick smiled. "You are very loyal to my granddaughter and don't think it has gone unnoticed."

"What is this? Are you threatening me now?"

"No, nothing of the sort." Trick held up his hands. "Please, have a drink on me." Trick lifted a bottle of vodka from the wall behind him and poured Kenzi a shot.

"You better not have roofied this bottle of vodka." She threw back a shot and patted the bar to ask for more.

"Tell me…" Trick poured another shot. "Can you shed any light on what Lauren is doing with her research?"

"I think you misunderstand why I'm here."

"I'm afraid I don't understand," Trick said.

"That's obvious. But here's the thing. I'm not going to betray Lauren. Can't you see that Lauren's sole interest in the Fae is Bo now? That she's not going to bring about the great extinction? She's proven that she's one of us time and time again, why can't you trust her?"

"She wields her power recklessly."

"Some might say the same of you," Kenzi looked at her nails.

"I am the acting Ash. My concerns are for all Fae."

"And mine is for our family. So man up, Gramps, because you're tearing it apart."

* * *

The bubbles popped and fizzled in front of her. Lauren stared into the white mass, listening to the rain hammer the roof above her head. The drops in the bucket of water in the middle of the bedroom came quicker than they had last night, when she stumbled over it on her way to the bathroom. She'd need to empty it again when she got out of the tub.

She shifted, the bubbles wobbling along with the disturbance in the water and closed her eyes. The idea of the bath was to relax, to clear her head and get back to her research. It wasn't supposed to go this way. Science came with a measure of risk that could be predicted, and some that could only be hypothesized. But truthfully, she didn't really know how it was supposed to go. Her inability to stop thinking about Bo was distracting, from everything.

All she could see when she closed her eyes was Bo's look of panic when it was clear she couldn't remember how to stop feeding. She arrived at the conclusion a few seconds after Lauren, who now couldn't forget the tightness in her chest, the feeling of her own body failing under Bo's powerful draw. It was miraculous and horrifying.

"Hey."

Lauren opened her eyes with a start and looked over at Bo who leaned her shoulder into the wall in the doorway. She studied Bo's eyes as they traveled from the hair piled loosely on her head, to her face, to her chest where skin disappeared beneath the bubbles. "Something on your mind?" she asked with a smirk.

Bo smiled and crossed her arms, looking at the floor. "Sort of."

But there was something missing in Bo's response. Lauren watched Bo kick at the floor with her toe when the smile faded. "Well if it was that, you wouldn't still be standing there, so…" Lauren paused. "What is it?"

Bo looked at Lauren. "Trick wants your research."

Lauren laughed, she couldn't help it. "Well I hope he's prepared to wait, because he's not going to get it."

"I think you should give it to him," Bo said seriously.

Lauren opened her mouth and then closed it. She took a breath. "You do?" It was as if all the air was let out of her lungs. Lauren suddenly felt alone. "I should have known you'd side with him."

"This isn't going to stop, Lauren." Bo's voice cut through the silence of the bathroom.

"This research has been my life for over seven years. I put everything into it and no one, not even a Blood King, is going to take that away from me."

"The next thing you're gonna say is that your life's work is more important than your life."

"Well…" Lauren considered.

"Aw, come on." Bo spun around, a physical expression of her confusion and frustration.

"Bo, I need you to listen to me." Lauren lifted a sud-covered hand out of the water and placed it on her heart. "I took twenty bullets and recovered in six weeks. I was beaten by ogres and still managed to be up and around in a few days. And when you fed on me you know I would have died if I was one hundred percent human."

Bo shook her head. "What are you saying?"

"Something is different about me now Bo and this research is my only road map to tell me what I've done to myself."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Lauren shrugged. "I needed to be sure."

Bo plopped onto the chair just inside the bedroom and sighed. "What are we gonna do, Lauren?"

"Give me a few days," she said, staring into the bubbles again. "I'll think of something."

* * *

Kenzi raised her arm to signal the bartender. She had fled the clubhouse when things got awkward between Bo and Lauren. Now, sitting at the neighborhood pub she was three drinks deep on the verge of an honest to goodness bender. This place didn't have the old world charm that the Dal had but it had liquor and beyond that, Kenzi wasn't choosey. They were fighting because Trick commanded it. _That guy is such a disappointment._ Kenzi remembered a time when Trick considered her a pet like the rest of them. It was no wonder he couldn't handle Bo's other pet outsmarting everyone.

Kenzi's eyes scanned the room. _This place is a total shit show_. A trucker and his lady love were making out in the corner booth, it was open mic night and a hippy was playing a revival of songs by Jewel. The bartender was a rotund man, whose white t-shirt was stained with sweat and food and his suspenders were carrying their maximum load. The door swung open and a new challenger approached, boots clomping on the wood floor. A hand slapped the bar top, a twenty dollar bill nestled between her fingers.

"Whiskey," she said in a low voice. "Make it a double." And then she turned her eyes to Kenzi, who watched her carefully. "You want one?"

Kenzi shrugged, never one to turn down a free drink. "Sure. But you should know," she lowered her voice. "I'm not into ladies. I mean, I'm okay with it and everything, it's just not for me. In fact, my roommates are gay ladies."

Her laugh started like a rumble in her belly and rose up through her chest before her teeth flashed and the corners of her mouth turned up. "That is the last thing on my mind, sweet thing. You're not from around here, are you?"

"You could say I'm from the other side of the tracks."

"Clever girl."

The bartender dropped the pair of whiskeys in front of the mysterious stranger and took her money. Kenzi's attention was on the melodrama in the corner, lady love having had enough of the trucker's promises to leave his wife. It was like an episode of Jerry Springer and Kenzi was enthralled. With Kenzi's attention turned elsewhere, the mysterious female lifted her hand over the glass and made a fist, squeezing a liquid into the whiskey before sliding it in front of Kenzi.

Kenzi looked over her shoulder at the stranger. "This place has the best sideshows!" She said with childish glee. When lady love stormed out and the trucker followed, Kenzi spun around on her stool again. "So what's your story? Secret agent? Bounty hunter? Happy homemaker, out on the town?"

"Something like that."

"No shit?" Unwittingly, Kenzi took a long swig of the tainted whiskey.

The rain pounded on the rooftop and as the pub's door opened, she could see the rain coming down in sheets. Slow, deliberate footsteps dragged across the floor toward Kenzi. Her vision grew foggy and her eyes, now heavy, fell on another pair of muddy boots, then drifted back to the original pair. Following her legs to the female stranger's blank expression, she felt alarm in her throat when she swallowed. Her face was hot and in that moment, Kenzi knew she'd been had. "Who the hell are you?"

"Your best friend and your worst enemy."

* * *

"I don't understand why you can't just make a decision now," Bo pushed.

"Because unlike you, who rushes headlong into everything you do, I like to consider all the possibilities."

"So what's wrong with being sure about my path?"

"That's not what I said," Lauren sighed.

A crash came from outside the clubhouse and Bo jumped to her feet. "What the hell?" She held a hand up. "Wait here."

Lifting her sword from the island, Bo charged out the front door. When she threw open the door, Lauren was at her side. A fat man in a rain poncho stood beside the Camaro with a crowbar. Her driver's side window was smashed.

"Hey asshole, what did that car ever do to you?"

"Your pet got loose." Bo felt Lauren's hand on her shoulder as a woman approached with Kenzi in front of her. Kenzi's mascara had run as the rain continued to soak her.

"Kenz, you okay?" Bo took a step forward, sweeping her sword through the rain.

"Yeah, sorry guys."

"What do you want?" Lauren called out.

"You know what we want, Doctor," the man called as he smashed another window in the Camaro.

"Hey!" Bo yelled. "You've got our attention."

"Put down your weapon," the woman called.

Bo laid the sword onto the step behind her and continued to walk toward the three of them. "Let her go now."

The woman pushed Kenzi forward and she fell onto her knees in the mud and gravel. Bo helped her up and guided her unsteadily to Lauren. "Go inside." Bo pushed the wet hair from her brow. "I'll be in in a minute." She closed the door and stepped back onto the driveway. "Thank you for your cooperation. I must say, you are both shitty bounty hunters."

"Awfully cocky for a human."

"It's funny you should mention that. There's been a development and you're about to see for yourselves." The sound of a switchblade flicking open made Bo hold up her hand to the woman. "Easy, now." Bo smiled and her eyes flashed blue. Her mouth opened and she began siphoning chi from the fat man.

"No," she shook her head. "They said you were human."

Bo dropped the fat man easily and began to advance on the woman. "Yeah, that woman in there," she nodded her head to the clubhouse. "She's a genius, and now I'm afraid it's your turn. But maybe…" The woman put her hands up and began to back away. "If you take him with you, I'll let you leave with your life."

She grabbed the fat man by his arms with haste and began dragging him to the car, a smile plastered on his lifeless face.

* * *

"Let me see."

"It's fine," Kenzi grumbled. Lauren brushed Kenzi's bloodied knees with antiseptic. "I'm so stupid," Kenzi put her head in her hands.

"They drugged you," Lauren said seriously, bandaging her knees.

"You think we should go check on her?"

Lauren smiled. "I think she's just fine."

Kenzi lifted her head. "When are you going to give him what he wants?"

"I can't."

"Of course you can't," Kenzi said, her eyes rolling.

"Ethically speaking, my hands are tied."

"Well, you'd better get used to that feeling, because it won't be long before it's your turn to be kidnapped."

"Kenzi, I know I can't expect you to understand, but you're going to have to trust me. Trick cannot get his hands on my research."

"Everyone okay?" Bo stood a few feet away, water dripping onto the floor.

"Bo." Lauren stood and walked to her, wrapping her up in terry cloth. "Go get changed. We have to talk."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Lauren had made hot toddys for them and Bo emerged from upstairs, still drying her hair with a towel. She walked to the couch and ruffled Kenzi's hair. "How are you feeling, Sassafras?"

Kenzi lifted the hot toddy to her lips and shook her head. "A few more of these and I won't care how I feel."

Lauren passed Bo a steaming mug and watched as Bo sat next to Kenzi. It was so obvious that Lauren was out of her depth with Kenzi, but Bo, she knew exactly how to coax Kenzi back to herself and in a few minutes they were laughing. Sitting beside the other women, Lauren looked into her own mug before speaking. "I know you've both said you were against leaving town, but I was hoping you had reconsidered in light of tonight's events." Lauren sipped her mug.

"I can't, I'm sorry," Bo said. "I promised myself I was done running."

"Circumstances change, Bo." Lauren looked to Kenzi for reinforcements.

"Sorry, Doc," she said, shrugging her shoulders and sinking into the couch.

Lauren sighed. "In that case, I have a proposal."

Bo raised her eyebrows. "That sounds official."

"In a manner of speaking, yes, it is."

"Well? Don't keep a sister hanging!" Kenzi exclaimed.

"Instead of paying for the trip, let me upgrade the clubhouse. We need security, as I think the past few days have shown us."

"What did you have in mind?" Bo asked.

"Perimeter alarms, exit/entry alarms, cameras, a security cage at the entrance."

"Just the basics, then."

Lauren shrugged unapologetically. "Maybe some drywall?"

"I know you're like crazy smart and stuff, L-dot, but is investing all that money in a place we don't even own the smartest idea?"

"No, I don't suppose it is." Lauren stood and pulled a piece of paper from her back pocket and held it out to Bo. "It's the deed to the land."

"How'd you get this?"

"I found it in the basement with a slew of other paperwork."

"We're actually living here legally?" Kenzi scoffed. "Next thing you know we'll be law abiding citizens."

"I just killed someone in the driveway, I really don't think that's a problem."

"So?" Lauren asked. "What do you say?" She held her own hand tightly as Bo waffled, unable to decide.

"Let's do it."


	4. Chapter 4

Dyson stepped carefully down the stairs under the Dal Riata, ducking as he crossed the threshold into the large room. Trick had sent for him, saying they had some pressing business to discuss that was incredibly time-sensitive.

"Trick?"

The barkeep was sitting at a table, looking seriously at a stack of files. "Thanks for coming, Dyson."

"Of course." Dyson took a seat on a weathered arm chair. "What's going on?"

"We have a serious problem." He passed Dyson a photo of a familiar face.

Dyson frowned and looked up at Trick. "This is Lauren."

"I trust you're on good terms?"

"With Lauren?" Dyson replied. "I guess. Better than we used to be."

Trick turned to his old colleague and looked at him seriously. "I need her research. I want you to get it for me."

Dyson laughed. "You think she's going to just give that to me? I think you have the wrong Fae. Isn't that a job better suited to Bo?"

The Blood King looked to the floor, almost shamefully. "That might be impossible now, I'm afraid." When their eyes met again, Dyson knew something wasn't right.

"What did you do?"

"I have to keep the Fae safe, Dyson. Even if it is from someone my granddaughter loves."

Dyson shook his head. "I don't understand."

"The Morrigan wasn't acting alone."

"_What_?" Dyson whispered harshly.

"Lauren stepped beyond the boundary, Dyson, using the Fae as experiments. She has to be dealt with."

"I can't believe you," he shook his head again, positive he must be dreaming.

"I'm doing what needs to be done to keep the Fae safe," Trick defended. "And you'd be wise to do the same."

"I'll admit Lauren and I haven't always agreed, but haven't her actions earned her some respect?"

"Her actions have proven her loyalty lies with her kind, Dyson."

"Her loyalty lies with Bo, Trick. I can't believe you don't see that."

Trick sighed. "Are you going to help me, or not?"

Dyson's lips tightened, his breath turning to a low growl before he righted it again. "I'll do what I can."

Trick watched him get to his feet and walk to the stairs that led up to the bar. "Dyson." The seasoned cop paused and turned back. "I have great respect for Doctor Lewis' intelligence and talent. I would be a fool to take her lightly."

* * *

Bo's hunger was back and it scared the hell out of her. She yearned for Lauren's touch, but she remained aloof. She knew Lauren was afraid of her and it broke her heart. If she could undo all the damage that one act had caused she'd gladly wave it away, a wisp of a truth that she held in her heart.

Sitting on her bed, lost in thought, Bo imagined a time when things were simple, except things were never simple or easy, there was always strife and struggle, that was her lot in life. It would be easy to resign herself to this fate but she was bound and determined to break the cycle. To reclaim her Fae and restore her relationship with Lauren.

The top step creaked and Bo perked up, watching the empty doorway. It was a moment before Lauren appeared. She smiled at Bo and crawled onto the bed. Bo knew her signals and curled around Lauren in response. They lay together, bathed in the lamp light, and it was ten minutes before Bo spoke.

"You okay?"

She nodded against the pillow. "Yeah."

"Because we haven't really talked since you know…"

Lauren pulled Bo's arm tighter around her. "I guess we can't avoid it any longer."

Bo pulled the hair back from Lauren's neck and kissed her in the soft spot behind her ear. "I wish I could take it all back," she whispered. Bo chewed her lip and squeezed Lauren's hip. "I miss you."

The silence that followed was physically painful. It was agony as each second ticked by and no answer came. When she thought she might self-immolate, Lauren spoke. "I love you."

Bo's legs tangled with Lauren's. "But…?"

"I'm scared, Bo." Lauren threaded their fingers together.

"I am, too."

Lauren looked over her shoulder at Bo before falling onto her back beside her. "Now what?" She sighed.

Bo covered Lauren's lips with a finger. "We do what we always have done: we fight for what matters."

Pressing a hand against Bo's cheek, Lauren let go of her fear and fell into the abyss of Bo's smile. She exhaled and pulled Bo's mouth against hers. It was a tentative kiss, one that bubbled up around the edges and quickly morphed into something fierce, threatening to grow out of control with each passing moment.

Bo moved over her then, holding herself aloft with a well-placed hand behind Lauren's head. She pulled away feeling the need in her blood.

"What is it?" Lauren asked, already knowing the answer. She brushed the hair from Bo's face, one hand coming to rest at the back of her neck and the other smoothing over her cheek with the back of her hand.

"Lauren…" Wanting nothing more than to push forward into the unknown, Bo was aware of the danger they both faced, trusting that she would possess enough control now could be deadly. Her hand found the lush pile of hair cascading from Lauren's pillow and she sighed.

She lifted her head and covered Bo's mouth with her own. It was a slow, calculated exchange, Lauren kept the pace even, teasing her and leading her on. It was a slow burn, igniting the fire in their bellies like tinder.

Bo unbuttoned Lauren's shirt and pushed it open against her shoulders. She wrenched open her jeans. A hasty hand plunged past her zipper and in between Lauren's legs. She arched her back. "Oh," she said, drawing out the vowel as her breathing slowly gained momentum.

One hand nestled above Bo's glorious cleavage and the other behind Bo's neck, Lauren's pupils were discs as she looked up at Bo. The hunger Bo saw in Lauren's eyes made her pause. She wanted Lauren so badly that the ache between her legs was a dizzying distraction as she watched Lauren's hips undulate against her hand.

Lauren's eyes fell shut, concentrating on the sensations coursing through her body. Tightening her grip on Bo's neck, she pulled herself up to capture Bo's lips once again. This time, however, Lauren was losing control. Her lips worked greedily against Bo's mouth, sucking on her bottom lip, her hips lifting from the bed as Bo sunk into her depths.

She hummed her appreciation. Bo's mouth was on her neck, making a trail goosebumps rise up on her skin. She reached out for Bo's breast only to be turned away at every glancing caress. Lauren's breath was coming faster now and she was threatening to find oblivion on her own. "Bo," she moaned. "Let me touch you."

Bo looked at her then, blue eyes flickering. "I don't trust myself."

"I do," Lauren said.

Bo bit her bottom lip as she made Lauren's back arch once again. "This isn't so bad, is it?" Her lips brushed the whorls of Lauren's ear.

"No, but it could be," her teeth flashed from behind her lips, "so much better for you."

Lauren sat up, stilling Bo's hand between her legs and pushed Bo onto her back. A flurry of clothing drifted to the floor, until finally, Lauren was lifting Bo's hips and peeling away her pants. When Lauren crawled up Bo's body and covered her with her own, Bo sighed.

And when Lauren kissed her, she was at her mercy again. Soft and slow, like a dance, long forgotten. Finally, this was Bo's homecoming. A fleeting smile chased away any doubt Bo had. Lauren's hair fell around her face like a blonde corona. Her beauty was blinding and Bo found herself squinting as she looked up at her.

A quiet moment unraveled between the pair, filling in the space between them with an air of contentment and an underlying current of lust. Nestled between Bo's legs, Lauren began a slow grind. Their hips moved together, the delicious contact ramping up Bo's arousal.

A flash of blue and Lauren braced herself for what was to come. She wasn't afraid of Bo now, but she was conscious of the risks. A quick reversal found Lauren on her back, a soft "Unf!" escaping her as Bo pressed her into the mattress.

Stealing a kiss, Bo's hands explored her body, taking a leisurely route to her destination. Lauren tensed as Bo's hand slid between their bodies. Her mouth covered the spot on her throat that throbbed with her heart under pressure. She worked her hips back and forth, rocked them side to side as her fingers left their indelible mark on her core.

When Lauren reached out for her, Bo's eyes slipped shut, lost in the sensations. Undulating against each other, hips jumping in concert, they moved together, a magnetic show of perfect rhythm and desire. Bo swallowed the moan that threatened to rise up as she luxuriated in the emotional response Lauren had on her.

Sparks ignited behind her eyelids when release came swiftly. Lauren held her body tight against her own as the quaking subsided. Lauren's voice was in her ear repeating her name. "Bo," she said, breathless.

Bo lifted her head from the crook of Lauren's neck and brushed the blonde strands from her face. The smile Bo uncovered was unmatched by anything she was prepared for. Lauren rolled her eyes at herself.

"What?" Bo kissed her chin.

She shook her head. "Nothing."

Bo rolled away, flopping onto her back beside Lauren. "You're a terrible liar."

Lauren propped herself up on one arm and cast her eyes over Bo's nude form. "You're amazing."

Bo laughed at that. Their post-coital banter and the doe-eyed gaze Lauren was throwing her way landed like an atomic bomb in her belly. Lauren scooted towards Bo, resting her head on her shoulder and draping an arm across her midsection. "Doctor Lewis," Bo teased. "Flattery will get you everywhere."

* * *

The door swung wide open and Evony appeared in its frame, hand on hip. It was mid-afternoon and the Dal was deserted except for Trick, who read a newspaper behind the bar. He looked up as Evony approached, hips swaying, and closed the paper.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice," he said.

"Let's cut to the chase. You want what Lauren has and you've tried all of her allies but they all refused to help you."

"How did you know?"

"You're a predictable little imp, I'll give you that."

"Can you help?"

Evony closed her eyes. "I'm afraid not. I've given my blood oath to Bo that I'd leave her and that burgeoning lesbian commune alone."

"This affects all Fae. She could bring about our extinction. Especially if the humans become aware of our presence."

"I'm not going to shake down your granddaughter again, though your competitive run for Grandpappy of the year is endearing." Evony flicked her wrist and the leather gloves she was holding slapped her other palm. "I'll tell you what I'll do for you." She opened her purse and pulled two crisp hundred dollar bills from her wallet. "Here's two hundred dollars. Get some therapy."

* * *

_THUMP_

She sat at attention on the couch and eyed her beloved sword, Geraldine. A shuffle of feet and Kenzi was on hers. She jumped into the door frame, Geraldine gleaming in the fluorescent light of the clubhouse.

Lauren dropped an armload of equipment. "Jesus!"

"Sorry Doc," Kenzi set her sword down and helped Lauren pick up the fallen science junk.

"Good to see they haven't broken your spirit, Kenz." Lauren smirked as she dusted her knees off and stood.

"Hey…" Kenzi said looking Lauren over. Her hands were dirty and her jeans were muddy, especially on her knees as were the boots she wore. Kenzi smiled. "Well, look at you, butching it up and stuff."

Lauren laughed. "I was just setting up a perimeter." She walked past Kenzi and into the clubhouse, dropping the equipment she was carrying by the door, she washed her hands in the kitchen sink and dried them before making her way to her laptop. A few key strokes and the lights dimmed momentarily. She smiled.

"So that's going to go off if someone tries to break in?" Kenzi looked through the discarded pile of equipment that Lauren had been using.

"That's the idea. This is just a temporary grid." Lauren made a few well-chosen keystrokes. "But it will give us some advance warning until I can have the professionals put in the real deal."

"How does it work?" Kenzi asked, looking over her shoulder.

"The grid is set up by placing stakes around the yard equal distance apart. They send information back to the computer and will alarm if anyone crosses the barrier between two stakes." Lauren pushed back from the laptop and smiled, satisfied. Kenzi watched the screen and the window that played a stream of video from their front and side door. "We'll get something a bit more high-tech when we have more time. Something a bit more catered to our… pursuers."

"Like a Fae detector?"

Lauren nodded. "Something like that."

"Speaking of Fae detectors," Kenzi started, spying a plastic bag floating past their side door. "You're looking better."

Lauren frowned at the screen. "What?"

"Well…" Kenzi wandered away to the couch, leaning against the back of it. "I'm no doctor, but my ribs are still killing me from our run-in a few days ago and, well…" She admired her boots. "Judging by last night's soundtrack, you and Bo didn't seem to miss a beat." She cleared her throat.

Lauren shifted uncomfortably. "I didn't realize you paid that much attention." She tapped a few keys on the keyboard.

"Well in this place, it's kinda hard not to."

A few more keys pressed. "I see."

Kenzi tapped her heel against the floor. "So are you going to tell me what's going on, or do I have to wait for the Twitter storm?"

"Something's not working."

"What?"

Lauren looked up at Kenzi before getting to her feet. "The perimeter, something's come apart, I have to fix it."

Kenzi watched Lauren grab her jacket and glide through the clubhouse like she was on air. Kenzi could barely get up without her body complaining, but somehow Lauren seemed unaffected. "Sure," Kenzi told her. "We'll continue this some other time."

* * *

The rest of the day had been quiet, but the atmosphere still had a an air of unsettling electricity. The knowledge of a constant stream of assailants despite having some sort of a warning system in place left the women in a sort of captive limbo, hoping the silence remained at the same time waiting for it to be shattered.

They were halfway through dinner when their conversation about the highlights of Nineties television was interrupted by the sudden scream of the perimeter alarm that Lauren had set up earlier that morning. The clatter of forks hitting plates was followed by stools scraping against the floor as each woman sprang to attention.

Bo pulled the dagger from its holster and stood in front of the door at the ready, Kenzi pulling up the rear with Geraldine. Lauren rushed to her laptop as there was a solid knock on the door and pushed a few keys, keeping a close eye on the entrance. Her heart pounded as the knock came again and she squinted at the video feed.

She sighed heavily. "It's okay," she said, holding up a hand. "It's Dyson."

Kenzi's arms fell to her sides in relief and she returned to the table, reclaiming her fallen stool. "I don't know if my heart can take this, Doc." She shoveled a heaping forkful of pasta into her mouth.

Lauren watched Bo open the door for Dyson and sat back down next to Kenzi. "I know."

"Sorry to interrupt," Dyson apologized, noting the intensity from each woman. He turned to Bo when she stopped beside him. "We need to talk."

"I figured," she replied, gesturing to the couch. They sat next to each other facing the fireplace, their backs to the kitchen. Bo could feel Lauren's eyes on her, burning a hole in her skin. "So?"

Dyson wrung his hands. "I found out some information today that's… concerning."

"Concerning for who?"

"You… Lauren…" He half-glanced over his shoulder. "Me."

"Well spill it," Bo told him. "I've got other things I need to worry about right now."

"That's the thing, Bo." Dyson looked back at the kitchen this time, his eyes meeting Lauren's in a brief, but knowing glance. "It's not the Morrigan gunning for Lauren, it's-"

"Trick, I know."

Dyson was surprised. "So you know what he wants."

"He was pretty clear," she said. "Why, did he send you here to take it?"

He shifted uncomfortably. "In a manner of speaking."

"I can't let you do that."

"Bo, I don't…" Dyson lowered his voice again. "I didn't promise him anything, but Bo… he's prepared to kill her."

Bo set her jaw. "Then he'll have to go through me."

"Bo…"

"No, I'm through with this Fae 'family' bullshit." She shifted away from Dyson and looked into the kitchen. "He can throw whatever he wants at us, I don't care. If Lauren doesn't want to give up her research, then she shouldn't have to."

Dyson took a deep breath and smiled at Bo. "Then at least let me help," he said. "I have to be at a meeting with a witness, but I'll send Tamsin over to keep an eye on you guys tonight. You look terrible."

Bo smirked and slapped his shoulder. "Thanks."


	5. Chapter 5

"So what is she doing?" Kenzi's voice was low and was punctuated by a drip in the bucket of rainwater in the corner. The rain might have been lighter than it had been the past few days, but it remained relentless. They put the bucket there last night some time.

Bo looked over the back of the couch at Lauren, who scrubbed the evening's plates with calm diligence. "She's washing dishes, what does it look like she's doing?"

Kenzi rolled her eyes. "Duh, I meant about the research? Is she giving it up yet?"

Bo frowned. "She has a stronger grip than you think."

"Oh god, did you have to go there?" Kenzi scrunched her face up and then flinched when Bo swatted at her. "Doesn't she realize her life is on the line?"

"Kenzi, her life has been on the line ever since we met her."

Kenzi picked at the cording on the couch cushions in silence, sometimes in time to the various drips around them. "So how do we convince her, then?"

"I don't know if I want to." Bo watched Lauren stop and lean against the sink for a few seconds. Her shoulders rose and then fell again in a practiced sigh before continuing her task. "Her research's a part of her, Kenz." A short chuckle escaped Bo. "Literally."

Kenzi looked up at Bo. "Wait, what?"

She shouldn't have said anything. But Kenzi was her best friend, the one she could always trust, who'd always have her back. Kenzi was the one she went to Hel and back for. Bo stared at Kenzi with a pained expression, wrestling with her ethics. "Let's just say there are still some questions after her walk on the Fae side."

"Are you serious?" Kenzi said, lowering her voice and leaning in. "I knew it. What's wrong with her, does she have a tail or something?"

"No!" Bo made a face and slapped Kenzi's arm. "What's the matter with you?"

"What?"

"She just…" Bo looked back at Lauren, who had moved on to drying. "Lauren's whole life is in that research, Kenzi. Asking her to give it up would be like asking me to give up my Fae."

Kenzi nodded thoughtfully and there was a short silence between them. "Would you do it?"

"Give it up?"

"Be human again."

Bo thought about it seriously. A human life with Kenzi and Lauren, living the crazy day-to-day like she was sure they would. But after all this time, after all this struggle and triumph, Bo shook her head. "I don't think I could."

Kenzi nodded and pursed her lips, teasing the fabric on the pillow. "It wasn't so bad, was it?"

Bo covered Kenzi's hand with hers, smiling when she finally looked up at her again. "Being human is nothing to be ashamed of. I know Fae who would crumble under the stuff you deal with every day."

"Like the Morrigan."

Bo chuckled and patted her hand. "Like the Morrigan." She hadn't seen Kenzi smile, truly smile since they brought her back and it filled her with such life. Bo pulled her into her arms and held her tight. "I love you, Kenz."

"I love you, too, you big succusoftie." Kenzi poked Bo in the ribs and was immediately released as Bo pulled away with a grin.

"What's going on?" Lauren asked, walking up to the couch, wiping her hands on a dish towel.

The women smiled at each other and Bo looked up at Lauren. "Just some overdue bonding." She poked Kenzi, who shifted over and grabbed the remote from the table. "And I think it's about time for a movie." Bo moved aside, freeing up a spot on the couch. "You got some time, Doctor? I think Frankenstein is on."

Lauren smirked and tossed the towel onto the chair next to the couch and flopped onto the couch next to Bo. She put a hand on Bo's knee as Kenzi leaned into Bo's side. "How could I say no?"

* * *

The next time the alarm went off there was less panic. Not only because they were expecting it, but because it was quickly becoming routine. Bo still got to her feet quickly, but moved calmly to the door. Kenzi still scrambled, but sighed as she leaned against the wall. Both women watched Lauren check the feed on her computer and tensed when she looked up.

"It's Trick," she said.

Bo straightened, her dagger lowering. "What do you want to do?"

Kenzi bounced her sword in her hands and looked from Bo to Lauren. "Let him in," Lauren sighed.

"Are you sure?" Bo took the few steps to the door.

"Not really."

A deep breath and the door was opened. "What do you want?" Bo stared down at her grandfather who stood at the threshold of the clubhouse. Kenzi peeked around the corner behind her and disappeared again.

Trick smiled sweetly. "I was hoping we could talk."

Bo held onto the door knob as she looked over her shoulder at Lauren who nodded almost imperceptibly. She sighed and turned back to him. "Come on," she waved him in.

He followed her to the couch where she gestured to the armchair next to it. She waited for Trick to sit first before she sat on the edge of the couch next to Kenzi. They sat in silence for an awkward minute and a half before Trick spoke.

He looked up as Lauren sat in the armchair directly across from him. "I wanted to see you both." She settled into the seat comfortably, legs crossed and her fingers folded neatly in her lap. "To hopefully come to an agreement so we can end this nonsense."

Kenzi looked at Lauren and back to Trick. "Um, these shenanigans have been pretty one-sided, Trickster."

Trick smiled and nodded. "I'm sorry, I didn't want it to come to this."

"So knock it off then," Bo replied.

"I have to protect the Fae, Bo, you know that."

"Even at the expense of your own granddaughter?"

"Okay," Lauren interrupted. "That's enough." She uncrossed her legs and straightened her back. "Here's the deal," she said, looking at Trick. "I'll give you full access to my research, explain it all, show you everything." She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "But it stays in my possession."

Trick tightened his lips. "I can't do that."

"Why not?" Lauren asked.

"That research threatens the Fae as an entire populace," he said. "I can't let it float around in an unsecured location for anyone to pick up and use at their discretion."

"Like the Origin Seed?" She let her point settle in the silence of the room, her eyes meeting Trick's in a standoff. "I assure you, it's well hidden," Lauren told him.

"And we're putting in a security system," Kenzi offered. "This place'll be tighter than a dancer's butt cheeks."

Trick sighed and shook his head. "The Elders won't stand for it being out of the Fae's possession."

"The Elders, or you?" Lauren challenged. They stared at each other for a few uncomfortable seconds and Bo and Kenzi exchanged an uneasy glance. When Trick spoke again, his voice was firm and even.

"The Fae have been lenient of your most recent exploits, Doctor Lewis," he started. "Even deserting the Light and working with the Dark." He looked at Bo. "But this can't go on."

"What exactly are you implying?" Lauren pressed.

Bo looked at Lauren who's expression had hardened to a point that Bo barely recognized. "Trick, Lauren's-"

"Bo," Lauren stopped her. "I want him to say it."

"Your contract is still binding," he stated, holding Lauren's stare, but not missing the emotion in Bo's. "Any research that was completed during the tenure of your contract technically belongs to the Light Fae."

"What?" Bo exclaimed.

"Now, as Acting Ash," Trick said. "I'm asking that you and the research that's rightfully ours be returned to the Light Fae compound."

Lauren's hands gripped the arms of the chair so hard Bo was sure she'd rip it apart. "You don't own me or my research," she said through unwavering anger.

"By your own signature," Trick retorted. "I do. And I would appreciate the respect that demands."

Bo looked back and forth between them, unprepared for the direction this conversation had suddenly taken. Lauren thought about her answer and for a moment, while Trick thought he was in the clear. She pushed herself to her feet. "I have done nothing for the last seven years other than be a slave to the Fae. I have helped those that despise me, I've healed those that would kill me, I've even given advice to those who think my life is worth less than theirs. I don't owe you anything."

"Lauren, be reasonable," Trick replied. "Would you even have been able to achieve all you have without the Fae?"

Lauren looked at the ceiling before shaking her head with a smile. "Have you ever asked yourself where the Fae would be if I never went to the Congo?" The silence from the Blood King spoke volumes and the raised eyebrows from both Bo and Kenzi told her she'd made her point. Lauren turned then, without another word and walked straight up the stairs to Bo's bedroom.

Trick cleared his throat. "I guess I'll take my leave then," he said, getting to his feet. "I'm sorry for the trouble."

"Can we let this go now?" Bo asked as she stood to follow.

"Bo, I'm sorry," Trick replied. "Whether she likes it or not, Lauren signed her life to the Fae. It's her obligation. And I can't have a claimed human that I'm responsible for running around unchecked with all the power to destroy us."

"You're assuming."

"I'm telling you Lauren is brilliant and dangerous. I know you love her, Bo, but… don't trust her."

Bo clenched her jaw. "Get out."

"Bo, please."

"No, get out." Bo pointed at the door before pulling it open. "I don't care who you are, you can't come into my home and insult my family."

Trick crossed the threshold of the front door and turned around. "Bo, I need that research." He barely got the last syllable out before the wooden door slammed in his face.

* * *

The television droned on about the latest fashion trends as Lauren tapped her finger on the edge of her laptop. She sat in the corner of the clubhouse, leaning back in the office chair, staring at the view of their front door on the laptop's screen, an empty wine glass sitting next to it. Neither Bo nor Kenzi had attempted conversation with Lauren since she reappeared from the second floor once Trick left. It was probably for the better, Lauren's internal filter tended to lose it's efficacy the angrier she got and by this time, she was sure she'd say something she'd regret.

As the alarm sounded for the third time in as many hours, Lauren snuffed it out with a push of a button on her laptop. Bo and Kenzi barely looked up from the sofa when Lauren said, "It's Tamsin." It was the first thing she'd said in over an hour.

Bo moved to the door and opened it before Tamsin could knock. "Welcome." Bo turned and walked into the kitchen.

"Intense," Tamsin noted, walking into the clubhouse. "You guys need to relax in here."

Bo drained a glass of wine and poured another. "Yeah you know, alarms going off, being attacked by the Fae of the hour, it's real soothing."

Tamsin put a hand on Bo's shoulder and looked her in the eye. "That's why I'm here." She looked around. "All you need to worry about is getting a good night's sleep." She dropped onto the couch next to Kenzi who frowned at the coffee table. The small Russian hadn't said much since Trick's revealing visit. "Except you, maybe." She nudged Kenzi's shoulder. "Sleepover," she sang softly.

The smile couldn't be contained and quickly spread across Kenzi's face. Tamsin looked over her shoulder at Bo and Lauren. "Get some rest, Kenzi and I got this."

Kicking back, Tamsin put her feet up on the coffee table and clicked on the television. "Tarantino marathon's on tonight." The frenetic guitar of a surf anthem filled the living room as Pulp Fiction began. Kenzi pulled her knees against her chest and wiggled her toes excitedly.

Bo turned away from the television and held out her hand for Lauren, who took her time getting to her feet and rounding the desk. Walking to the stairs, Bo stole one last look at Kenzi and Tamsin who had already forgotten they were looming behind them. Maybe tonight they really would get a chance to relax.

* * *

The stream of obscenities from the television filtered to a dull murmur by the time Bo and Lauren reached the top of the stairs. Passing through the doorway to the bedroom, Lauren dropped onto the bed and rolled onto her back.

"Are you okay?" Bo asked the question carefully as she sat on the bed next to Lauren.

Lauren smiled at the ceiling and looked at Bo. "As well as I can be for being reminded of my lifetime of bondage."

"I would have thrown him out earlier if I knew he was going to pull that shit."

Lauren shook her head. "It's okay. He's right."

Bo blinked in shock. "What?"

"I did sign my life over to the Light."

"Yeah, but Lachlan tricked you," Bo said emphatically.

"What do you mean?" Lauren asked.

"He tricked me, too."

"Bo, I don't understand."

"The nail, Nadia's nail. I'm the one that pulled it out. Lachlan told me I couldn't tell you and I believed him."

Lauren's face went slack as she processed the information. She frowned. "Unbelievable." A parade of emotions played out on Lauren's features. Sadness, betrayal, anger, defiance and ultimately love. She sucked in a breath, like she forgot to breathe during the passing minutes. "You know, on some level I knew it was too good to be true. And even though I knew Lachlan was using me, I never dreamed he was using you, too."

Bo looked away.

Lauren laughed and it surprised Bo. She shook her head. "I've been so foolish, trusting the Ash with my life for so long."

"You're not going back there, I promise." Bo covered her hand with her own.

"Thank you," Lauren said, finally losing steam.

"You don't have to thank me, I have my own agenda."

Lauren smiled. "Is that so?" She sat up. "Close your eyes," Lauren whispered and Bo eagerly obeyed.

"Oh, Doctor, what are you up to?"

She could hear her shuffle away, only to return a few moments later. The bed moved under Lauren's weight and Bo smiled, anticipating. A metallic click echoed throughout the room.

"Open your eyes."

Bo's smile faded as she opened her eyes to see a briefcase of Lauren's research open in front of her. A catalogue of Fae DNA sprawled in front of her, each specimen in a vial and labeled meticulously. "I don't understand."

"It's yours," Lauren said. "Do what you need to do, Bo. You and Kenzi are more important than any of this and I'm tired of being on the defensive. I just want us all to be able to live normal lives or… as normal as it gets with you."

"Lauren," Bo breathed. "I'm speechless."

"Just say you'll fix this for us."

A smile touched Bo's eyes before the corners of her mouth. "Absolutely."


	6. Chapter 6

The floor above them creaked and Kenzi tried to ignore the noise and continue. Tamsin peered over her cards at her. A loud squeak sounded through the room as the bed upstairs moved across the floor above.

She looked up. "Bo and Lauren are just rearranging Bo's bedroom," Kenzi stuttered.

Nodding, Tamsin tossed a pair of cards to the side. "Two cards, please."

Kenzi dealt two cards to Tamsin and poured over her own hand for a moment before taking one herself. She could hear Bo giggling and wished so much that she couldn't. There was only one thing that could make her chortle like that and if she listened closely she could hear Lauren making with the doctor talk. Kenzi was living her waking nightmare. It wasn't that she begrudged them any happiness, but she sure could deal with not having to hear their "happiness" at every turn. She reached for the remote and pointed it at the television, punching the volume up a few notches.

Tamsin smiled at her, despite slowly growing uncomfortable with the series of long, low moans reverberating throughout the clubhouse now. "Do they do this a lot?"

Kenzi snorted. "Am I the missing Kardashian sister?" Kenzi nodded vigorously.

"Isn't that weird? You know, looking them in the face after?"

"It's just sex," Kenzi shrugged. "I have lived with Bo long enough to know that there are a lot of types of sex. Sometimes it means nothing others it means everything and there's no shame in it, whatever type you're having."

"Wow," Tamsin blinked. "I'm glad we had this talk, Dr. Ruth." Not missing a beat, Tamsin took the remote from Kenzi's lap and turned the volume up again. "I just mean, how many people know what their girlfriend's sex noises sound like?"

Kenzi crossed her arms. "I know what Dyson sounds like, too, you know." She waggled her eyebrows. "You're the only one left."

"That's gross," Tamsin said, making a face. "Are you going to call, or what?"

She laughed, flipping over her cards one at a time. The noise upstairs was reaching a crescendo, the bed moving along the floor, their voices straining against the television that now blared.

"Shit." Tamsin stared at Kenzi's cards. "How'd you do that?"

Kenzi dropped the rest of the deck on the table. "Lesson number one: cheating, ma soeur, will get you everywhere."

* * *

Lauren flopped onto her back, out of breath as Bo propped herself up on an elbow, smiling. "That was _uh-maze-ing_," Bo said, placing emphasis on each fragment of the word. "You got some new moves."

Laughing quietly to herself, Lauren shook her head. "Always had 'em. But I didn't want to intimidate a succubus." She winked.

"Come here." Bo wrapped her arms around Lauren's waist and pulled Lauren against her, laughing. It was joy personified, a show of good humor, and a glorious feeling, to be worry-free and able to laugh at life again.

"Uh," Kenzi cleared her throat and shielded her eyes. "I understand you may have missed the alarm during your… activities. But before round two gets going, can we pause because this just in!" She gestured a marquee. "Someone is breaking in!" Lauren pulled the sheet up to her neck and swallowed. Kenzi pointed at Lauren. "Are you going to be putting some clothes on or am I going to get snatched in the panic room?"

"It's not a panic room," Lauren said slipping into a t-shirt. "It's a nerve center."

Bo smiled. "It's a _nerve center_," she repeated, bemused.

Kenzi made a sound and rolled her eyes. "Look, hurry up, there is still one bad dude breaking in!"

Bo hurriedly pulled on a pair of pants as Lauren buttoned her jeans and they stood in unison, Bo still fumbling for her top. They rushed downstairs to find Tamsin eating popcorn and watching the camera feed on the laptop. "This guy is the _worst_. I've seen my share of idiotic criminals, but this dude takes the cake. He's been trying to saw through the padlock on the side door for the past ten minutes." She searched their faces. "Saw through the chain!" She shouted.

Kenzi covered her face.

"Everybody into Lauren's nerve center." Bo said.

"Weren't you just in there?" Kenzi sassed Bo and then looked to Tamsin who was mouthing the word "ew" to her.

"Not now, Kenz," Bo admonished and then took off for the front door.

"Where are you going?" Kenzi and Lauren asked at the same time.

Bo smiled at that. "I'm gonna go deal with the newest Mensa member."

The front door slammed but the burglar seemed undeterred. A few moments passed before Bo's figure entered the frame behind him. Her mouth moved but they couldn't make out what she said. He lunged at Bo and she did what Bo always did. She kicked him in the face.

"Aren't you glad I made her put pants on?"

* * *

Lauren lay on the bed, rockabilly music filtering up through the stairs, as she read a scientific journal. They had moved on to Kill Bill. She could hear Bo climbing the stairs, having finished the bottle of wine they had shared earlier. She dropped to the bed unceremoniously and rolled onto her back. Lauren smiled as she studied Bo's face. Eyes closed, make-up wearing off, her lips were an indescribable shade of eggplant, stained from the wine, the corners of her mouth upturned in a sleepy smile and her strong jaw was set with determination even as she remained at ease.

"Can't keep your eyes off of me." Bo opened her eyes and smiled, a radiant display of good humor.

Lauren set the journal aside and exhaled the breath she had been holding. "I'm going to go back with the Fae." It came out in a whoosh of air and stunned Bo.

She sat up unsteadily. "What? Why?"

"This has gone on too long. _I've_ let this go on far too long and it's time I took responsibility for that. This is my burden to bear."

"I can't believe what I am hearing." The anger in Bo's tone already threatened to boil over.

Lauren reached out, caressing the back of Bo's hand with her thumb. "You know Trick won't be satisfied with the research alone. You heard him. I have to give him what he wants to stop this."

"No," Bo said defiantly, pulling her hand away. "I have done everything in my power to stop this from happening and I'm not gonna let you give up on that now."

"I know you have and I appreciate it, but Bo, this was never your fight. Do you really want to live a life where you're always being attacked?"

"Yeah," Bo nodded. "That's pretty much how it always is." Lauren paused, nodding after a few moments had passed. Bo was right. She had made a life's work of defending against attackers and now she was doing it in Lauren's name. "After all these years, I've finally found my way and it may not have been my fight to begin with but it's my fight now. And I'll fight for you."

The declaration made Lauren suck in a breath and she tried not to smile like the idiot she felt like. "Bo…"

"I need you here." Bo took her hand. "And I need you to make this place safe, somewhere you can be at home." She squeezed her fingers with a smile. "And do it quickly because it's been too long since someone came knocking down the door."

* * *

The clatter of hammering filled the clubhouse, an table saw buzzed intermittently, and Bo couldn't think straight though she desperately needed to. Her eyes roamed the chaos of the main floor. Men were hammering drywall to their existing studs and it was beginning to look like a home. Lauren stood in the center of the room with the contractor and explained explicitly what they wanted. Bo smiled, her eyes burning into Lauren.

Feeling the weight of Bo's gaze, Lauren looked past the contractor to Bo, who still smiled. When Lauren smiled back, Bo felt her chest tighten and her throat constrict. Suddenly she felt like Wile E. Coyote to Lauren's Road Runner. Stunned by her anvils and yet still pursuing undeterred. It would always be like this, of that Bo was certain.

Lauren nodded at the contractor with her whole body, before turning and hurrying toward Bo with a clipboard in tow. "You're ready?"

Bo nodded. "Yeah." Her voice was barely heard above the cacophony of tools and activity around them.

Lauren took a step forward, extending a hand to cup Bo's cheek. "You can still change your mind…"

Bo bowed her head and laughed heartily. Lauren had been completely serious but Bo laughed because the thought of turning her back on Lauren was absurd. She was the tide that kept pulling Bo back into the ocean and she didn't struggle against it. "Not gonna happen," she said, finally.

Lauren, who had been serious, smiled suddenly. She nodded and took a breath. "Good." She held up a finger. "Hold that thought." Lauren disappeared upstairs. Bo looked around and wondered if she'd recognize her own home when she returned. She heard Lauren on the stairs and looked in her direction. She was carrying the briefcase. Bo watched her, absorbing her into her memory. Bo knew she was doing nothing so drastic as going off to war, but it felt that way. And when Lauren was back, her blonde hair swinging as she approached, there was something lighter in her aura. Bo now recognized that Lauren was relaxed-a phenomena in its own right-Bo, on the other hand, found her heart beginning to beat faster. "Sorry," she said, lifting the briefcase. "Had to get some friends."

Bo smiled. "Are you sure _you_ wanna do this?"

Lauren's expression grew quiet, considering. She wet her lips before she spoke. "No," she laughed. "Not at all. But." She nodded. "We can't go on living like this."

Bo slid her hand down Lauren's arm to her hand, taking the briefcase from her. Bo squeezed her fingers. "I'm gonna make this right."

There was a moment when their eyes met and time stopped. The noise they were surrounded by faded away and it was just them, together, on the edge of something huge and amazing. Lauren took two quick steps towards her, reaching out for her face and when they connected, Bo was awestruck, love struck and hopelessly addicted. Bo couldn't help but stare at Lauren as she backed away and turned towards the door. Sound had returned and the hammering reached a crescendo as Bo walked out the front door.

* * *

"Ysabeau, you came." Trick said from behind the bar.

She took a hesitant step forward into the Dal Riata's confines. Bo's boots echoed in the empty pub. Many a night had been spent there, drinking their faces off, forgetting, forgiving, breaking up, making up and even the occasional round of sex.

"Against my better judgment," Bo spoke, finally. She could see Trick eyeing the briefcase she held from across the room.

"Where's Lauren?" He asked.

"She's not here. You can have the research but you can't have Lauren."

"You must know I had been willing to look away, to let Dr. Lewis remain free but I'm sorry that has become impossible now."

And like a switch, Bo was set on her end. Her back straightened and every muscle in her body grew taut. Trick had hit a nerve like no other and it took all the strength in her body to speak carefully when she replied. "You do not own Lauren and she will not be returning to work for the Light. This is it. You get her research and we are done here."

"You know that can't be. She knows too much, she's seen too much to ever leave the Fae."

"So what? You imprison someone for their brilliance? Jesus, you are a piece of work."

"This is how it has been done for thousands of years. This is how we protect our ranks."

"I'm so sick of this Fae bullshit. I'm starting to think I should have stayed human. "

"You would sully your bloodlines with an aspiration that puts us all to shame."

"The only thing I'm ashamed of is sharing blood with you. And you can try to take Lauren but I will fight for her and, as you may have heard, I can be relentless." Bo stood there, defiantly, basking in her own badassery for a long moment. When she moved again, her hands were reaching down, to pop open the latches to the briefcase. As the one side fell open, all of the vials poured out onto the floor, breaking as they went. Once the briefcase was empty, she dropped it, falling to the floor with a clunk. Walking over the broken glass, years of Lauren's life crunching beneath her boots, she leaned over the bar at Trick. "Guess no one gets the research." She smirked.

Pushing off the bar, Bo took three steps backwards before turning her back on her grandfather and coolly making her way back to the Camaro parked outside.

* * *

Opening up the throttle, Bo sped toward the clubhouse. She was overwrought, having just destroyed Lauren's research after reaching an impasse with Trick-they were probably no better off than they were before but damn if it didn't feel good to watch the desperation in Trick's eyes as she crunched the research beneath her boots. It wasn't until Bo pulled into the driveway at the clubhouse that she realized she just how much she had to atone for. Lauren's life work lay destroyed on the Dal Riata's floorboards. How would she tell Lauren what she had done?

The exterior of the clubhouse was quiet, the vans and trucks gone. She could hear the alarm sound as she approached the front door and then silence. She opened the door and called out to her compatriots: "Just me."

The clubhouse was a mess and only barely recognizable. Drywall was taped and mudded, ready for paint. Random wires stuck out from various holes in the walls and a few undressed light bulbs hung from the ceiling. Bo found Lauren standing expectantly by her laptop, half covered by a drop sheet, wringing her hands. Kenzi lifted her head from a pillow on the sofa, another drop sheet in a pile on the floor. "Hey Bo-Bo," she said wearily as she channel surfed.

"This place looks…" Bo started

"Unfinished, I know," Lauren completed Bo's thought. "It should be done by the weekend." She walked across the dusty floor and stopped in front of Bo. "Did he accept the offer?"

"Not exactly," Bo said, suddenly feeling on the spot.

"Then what?" Lauren pressed.

"Don't freak out." Bo reached out for Lauren's hands. "But I sort of destroyed the research and I'm not sure if we are in a position to celebrate or to leave the country yet."

"Bo," Lauren covered her mouth.

"Lauren, I'm so sorry." Bo squeezed her hands. "He wouldn't back down and I couldn't let him keep threatening us."

Her eyes were downcast. Bo tried to read her face but it proved impossible, even for her. She turned away and crossed to the laptop once again. A few keystrokes and Bo was following her upstairs. Lauren should have known to expect anarchy when trusting Bo with her research. Ambassador of peace, Bo was not. Impulsive, bringer of chaos was probably a better description.

Lauren sat on the edge of the bed and looked at her hands, Bo sat beside her. "Babe," she started. "I'm so sorry. I know what I did can't be undone and regret that, really I do-"

"I need to show you something."

Bo straightened.

Lauren stood, approaching a stack of trunks in the corner of the room. From there, she pulled another identical briefcase and came to stand before Bo. She popped open the latches on the briefcase and exposed a much more elaborate set of vials, a brown leather journal and a pair of USB keys. "I gave you my duplicate samples. These are the originals."

"You knew I'd do something," Bo said, suddenly absolved.

"I had a hunch." She smiled and sat beside the open briefcase. Her fingers touched the vials carefully, tracing each of them until she looked at Bo and swallowed. "We're the only ones who know this exist," she said, laying her hand across the samples.

Bo was overwhelmed. All she had ever wanted from Lauren at the dawn of the apocalypse was for Lauren to trust her enough to tell her whatever plan she had concocted. Lauren hadn't been prepared then, but now… "Lauren, I don't know what to say."

An uneasy breath escaped Lauren's chest. "Say that you'll help me protect it."

"Yeah," Bo replied, the brilliant smile was hard to contain and she nodded in agreement. "Of course." Bo knew there was a long, hard road ahead of them and there was a good chance Bo was betraying her very essence, but she trusted Lauren despite Trick's warnings. She loved her despite convention. And she needed her beyond reproach. It was the family that Bo had built that insulated her from the consequences of living authentically. Forever known as the unaligned succubus, Bo owned the label and her decisions reflected it. This, like the cursing nail, was one of them and she owned it. She would protect Lauren and the research for as long as it took. She fought through Hel for Kenzi and she would go to the same lengths for Lauren because held between her two humans, her heart remained. And Bo knew it was the same for them. She'd bet her Fae on it.

* * *

Fin.


End file.
